The Ink Thief

Synopsis

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams – but he can’t pull it off alone.

A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist.

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction – if they don’t kill each other first.

Review

Normally, when someone is asked what their favourite book is, there’s a moment of pause as they try to think. It happens to us all, even to me. The one I most often say is my favourite, though, is Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

I picked this book up on a whim, years ago, about a month after it came out. I had never heard of Leigh Bardugo before and, I confess, I hadn’t read her original trilogy, Shadow and Bone, which Six of Crows is a spin-off from, set in the same fantastical and amazingly crafted world, but following a different set of characters.

No, instead I was intrigued by the premise, and also by the very pretty cover, and the unusual name. I’d been rereading Heist Society by Ally Carter, and I’d been wanting something to scratch the itch it left behind, wanted to dig my teeth into a good Teen/YA heist novel, of which there were shockingly few when I was a teenager (did they think we would all suddenly go out and become criminals?) A group of six ragtag and intriguing individuals pulling off an impossible fantasy heist, therefore, seemed right up my street. And how right I was.

I was engrossed from the first page, drawn in by a mesmerising, flawed cast of characters who each had the most intriguing, detailed and deep backstories and motivations that were slowly revealed to us over the course of the novel. In some ways, the plot was secondary in my consideration and enjoyment of these novels, because I fell in love with the characters, even the ones who are, in some ways, unlikeable but extremely compelling. They are diverse in stories, their appearances, backgrounds, cultures, mannerisms, and personalities, and it’s very easy to empathise or sympathise with them, to understand how they’ve ended up here.

Moving on from the characters, whom I sure will steal any reader’s heart, the plot of the novel is beautifully and solidly crafted, and Bardugo’s way with prose is masterful. The first chapter, in fact, is not told from the point of view of the main characters. Instead, we have an outsider’s perspective, one that sets up the story, that gives us a tantalising glimpse into what will happen in this novel, teasing us as to what our protagonists (if we can really call a group of thieves led by someone called “Dirtyhands”, or the Bastard of the Barrel known as Kaz Brekker, “protagonists”).

The novel only gets better from thereon in. The pacing of the novel never feels slow or stilted, though it also doesn’t race along at a breakneck pace, instead giving us time to get to know these characters, their stories and struggles, and allows us to witness tender moments that they have with one another and see them grow and improve and fix relationships that have become broken, in some cases, or witness new relationships form or existing relationships change. But none of this ever gets in the way of the story or bogs it down, instead enhancing it and always propelling the story forwards.

The setting, too, is something I want to mention. Bardugo has created an incredible world, the “Grishaverse”, which she began crafting in Shadow and Bone, and has expanded upon beautifully in Six of Crows (and later installations to this world too). The magic system feels different to any other I’ve read. The histories and politics and cultures of each nation feel fully fleshed out, and I always want to know more, hear more, see more, of each. Her world building technique is masterful, sitting up there somewhere with Tolkien, Sanderson, and Robert Jordan. This novel is worth reading for the breathtaking world she has created alone.

As I stated at the beginning of this review, Six of Crows is potentially one of my favourite novels of all time, and possibly one of the best fantasy novels from the 2010s (and in my opinion, the 21st century). It has a compelling cast of characters that you can’t help but root for and empathise with, and a plot that will thrill and intrigue. Overall, this is a fantasy book that you do not want to miss.

Rating: ★★★★★(★) (yes, that’s 6/5, it deserves it)